The Importance of Proper Mountain Bike Maintenance

When it comes to mountain biking you need to think of your bike as part of your body when it comes to taking care of it so you should be sure that it’s always working at its best. For many people their bike makes them the rider that they are so if it’s not up to par, your riding will not be up to par.

There are several things on a mountain bike that need to be maintained and some need attention on a regular basis while others are more of an as needed type of maintenance. For example one thing that you should always do is to make sure that your chain is clean and properly oiled. If it’s full of dirt and dry then you will have shifting problems and possible gear slipping issues as well. Plus a dirty chain can negatively affect the rest of the drive train.

Tire pressure is also important because it can affect things such as how easy you get a flat tire and how well your bike handles. If you ride a lot of rocky terrain then you will want your tire pressure higher to avoid pinch flats. But if you have your tire pressure too high and you ride on a lot of loose dirt then your bike won’t handle as well.  Be sure to always have a hand pump with you in case you need to make adjustments on the trail. Also make sure to watch the condition of your tires so that there is plenty of tread left and that they are not dried out and rotted because they could give out on you.

Brakes are another one of those important items to keep an eye on because without brakes there is no stopping your bike! With the older V-brake systems it’s easier to see how much brake pad you have left but with today’s modern disk brakes it’s harder to tell without taking them apart to look at them. Plus if you let them wear too far you risk damaging your rotor which can get expensive. Changing disk brake pads is pretty easy once you do it the first time. Rotors may also need to be replaced after an extended period of time because they can get  scored and not work as well or start to make noise.

Bikes use cables to operating the shifting from the shift levers to the derailleurs and these cables can get stretched out and dirty over time. One symptom of a stretched out or dirty derailleur cable is that your bike wont shift properly. You can clean the cable to see if this helps or sometimes it’s just time to have it replaced. Bikes with mechanical brakes use similar cables as well.

Items that require maintenance but at a much greater interval include things like shock and fork service, pivot points, chain rings and bottom bracket. Shocks and forks have oil and seals that need to be replaced after a period of time to keep them working at their best. For most riders you can go 2+ years before having to worry about this but it still needs to be addressed at some point. Same with pivot points which are the points on your frame and suspension where it moves or pivots as you ride. These get worn out as well and may become loose and possibly dangerous. If you notice a clunking or other type of noise coming from your crank it may be from a worn out chain ring or bottom bracket. Chain rings are easy to replace and fairly cheap and you can usually get a bottom bracket service for around $50.

If you stay on top of your bike maintenance you should be able to get many years and many miles of use out of your bike with no major issues. Once you let things go then it just leads to more problems and more money to spend to get your bike back in shape. So keep in mind that preventative maintenance is your friend and your bike will thank you for it!